


She's Leaving Home

by meridian_rose (meridianrose)



Category: Midnight Texas (TV)
Genre: Break Up, Community: 100_tales, Friendship, Gen, Past Character Death, Spoilers, not pro Manfred x Creek, post episode s01e06 blinded by the light
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-04
Updated: 2017-09-04
Packaged: 2018-12-23 18:27:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11995479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meridianrose/pseuds/meridian_rose
Summary: Creek put her ambitions on hold for her family. Now it's time for Manfred to let her go so she can follow her dreams - and his friends will be there to help.





	She's Leaving Home

"It makes sense," Manfred said. "You put your dreams on hold to protect Connor from your father. That's over now."

Creek, misty-eyed, looked up from the letter she was clutching. She shook her head. She'd been wrong about her brother and had only endangered herself. The Midnighters were still affected by one of their own killing Aubrey and the terrible events (Bobo's grief, his subsequent arrest, Fiji's kidnapping) that it had set in motion. Connor was dead. Creek's father had left the town, filled with grief and shame.

Yet Creek had stayed behind, a young human waitress in a tiny town full of supernaturals facing an ever growing threat. The Midnighters had held a discussion. Calls were made. The scholarship that Creek had originally turned down was offered once more and provisions were made in light of her tragedy.

The letter she held would let her start college in two weeks. She'd major in Literature, study creative writing, go to coffee shops with friends and write essays, go to bars and dance with wild abandon. She'd get an education and the freedom she'd been too long denied.

"Leave Midnight?" Creek asked, blinking a few times. "Leave you?"

Manfred stared at the tabletop. He'd opted to meet her in the diner to make this easier but it wasn't working. "You deserve a chance to know who you are," he said. "Not as a caretaker or protector. As someone with their own life and ambition. Do you really want to be a waitress for the rest of your life?"

Madonna had just wandered over to refill their coffee cups and Manfred winced.

"Sorry."

"Don’t be sorry. I'm not a waitress. I own this place," she told him. "And I've had some interesting experiences in many places."

Creek looked at Madonna and the woman turned her gaze on Creek, dishing out some sage advice.

"If I'd been raised in Midnight I'd be desperate to get out and see some more of the world, even if I later returned, making a conscious choice to live here," Madonna said. "Take some business modules if you want to, come back here and help me run this place with a view to taking it off my hands when I'm done with it one way or the other. But don't commit to a life here when it's all you've known. Don't stay here for one man."

Creek and Madonna both looked at Manfred, who took a gulp of coffee while he sought for the right words.

"She's right," he said, relieved that Madonna had brought up the subject he'd been reluctant to. "I've enjoyed our time together. But you deserve more than this. You deserve some normality. You deserve some fun. The chance to meet other men – and women. To meet different kinds of people and have many different experiences."

Tears were running down Creek's cheeks now. "You're breaking up with me?"

"If you go, I want you to go without any ties or guilt. I'll always answer my phone, Creek. This whole town will always look out for you. But it's best if we part ways."

Creek gave a sob. The letter was crumpled in her hand. "Fine," she said, getting to her feet, the chair legs scraping against the floor. "I'll go."

She stormed out of the diner, the door slamming behind her.

Manfred sighed, rubbed at his face. Madonna put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"You did the right thing," she said.

"I know."

There was a war coming and Creek didn't need to be caught up in it.

A few minutes later Bobo came and talked at Manfred, trying to engage him in conversation despite Manfred's lack of interest. When Manfred went home it wasn't long before Fiji brought cookies over and stayed to drink tea and nibble on a couple of them. The Rev came and asked for help moving a few storage boxes that Manfred was sure he could have managed to lift unassisted.

Later Olivia came to ask a few questions about places she knew Manfred had visited, and when it got dark Lem knocked on the door and suggested they pick Bobo up and go a bar.

"I'm all right," Manfred said, over his second beer, knowing they were trying to distract him. "You're all fussing for no reason."

"We're not fussing, we're protecting our only medium," Olivia said. "You're already popping those pills like candy and we're concerned."

"You did what you had to but that doesn't mean it won't hurt," Lem told him. "We’re just showing you that we're here if you need us. Never be reluctant to ask for help."

He nodded, touched by their concern despite his protests.

"I thought we might go fishing," Bobo said cheerfully. "Get out of town for a few days. I know a great spot."

Obviously the idea was for him to spend time away from Midnight while Creek was preparing to leave. Manfred was about to refuse but then he shrugged.

"I've never been fishing."

"I'll show you how," Bobo said. "We'll have fun, I promise."

"Sounds good," Manfred said. He smiled. "So, who's buying the next round?"

**Author's Note:**

> For the 100 tales prompt "life"
> 
> [Tumblr promo post](https://meridianrosewrites.tumblr.com/post/164964885337/shes-leaving-home-meridianrose-meridianrose)


End file.
